Kick your cravings to the curb
All dieters know and dread them: Cravings. At some point or another during your diet, they are bound to happen, testing your will power and very likely driving you crazy. And they are usually the biggest enemy of your New Year’s resoltion of losing weight. But fear not! We will tell you how to kick your cravings to the curb and how to do damage control if temptation was too strong after all.

Have a healthy snack
There are several reasons why we crave food, including boredom and low blood sugar. In the latter case, having a healthy snack low in carbs and with high-quality protein can help. This will support a healthy blood sugar level and helps you feel full at the same time. However, almost everybody has encountered those stubborn cravings that just won't go away, even if we eat something healthy. In that case, we suggest having a “Cravings-Emergency-List”.

Create a "Cravings-Emergency-List"
Write down a "Cravings-Emergency-List" of things that you enjoy and that are fairly easy to do at the spur of the moment. Look at this list as a preemptive strike, because truthfully, when your mind is focused on getting that chocolate fix, it is nearly impossible to come up with good ways of distracting yourself. Chose activities that you like and that you find relaxing! If you don’t like to do something, the prospect of that activity will not be exciting enough to overpower the temptation that is lurking in the kitchen. It is important that whatever you chose to do instead of eating makes you feel good and happy! Your "Cravings-Emergency-List" could include things like going for a walk, a run or a bike ride, taking a relaxing foam bath, driving around the block and singing along to your favorite tunes (just don’t stop at the drive-through on the way!), meditating, giving yourself a manicure, calling a friend you haven’t talked to in a while, cleaning your house... You get the idea. Write it down and have the list ready!

Don’t beat yourself up, move on – literally!
Your "Cravings-Emergency-List" should help you kick your cravings to the curb, but there are times when nothing short of tying yourself to the kitchen chair can stop you from indulging. If you shamelessly splurged on calories, sugar and fat, don’t beat yourself up afterwards, move on - literally! Tell yourself that it was fun while it lasted but tomorrow you will stick to your diet again and walk a few extra steps. Don't look at it as punishment but as a way of doing something good for yourself. Most importantly, make sure that you don’t skip meals after a feast! While it might sound like a good idea to make up for the increased calorie intake, you need to kickstart your metabolism the morning after. Also make sure you drink lots of water. You will be surprised how easy it is to get your diet back on track!